After skipping church one Sunday morning, Homer decides to quit church altogether and spend Sundays worshiping in his own way -- with cigars and beer.
Religious satire fuels 58 jokes at 3.17 per minute—the densest Simpsons episode yet.
Directed by Jim Reardon · Written by George Meyer
WAR
57.1
Wins Above Replacement
“Homer The Heretic” ranks #131 of 552 The Simpsons episodes on the Humor Index, scoring 82.0 — Elite. The episode packs 58 scored jokes at 3.2 per minute, averaging 7.1 on craft and 6.9 on impact, with Homer landing the most laughs. Every joke is ranked below with its individual craft and impact scores.
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Top Jokes
God: Hmm, you've got a point there.
God: You can't wait six months?
God Dark/Subversive Misdirection ★ Rewatch Homer · God: You know what I really hate about church? Those boring sermons. Oh, I couldn't agree more. That Reverend Lovejoy really displeases me. I think I'll give him a canker sore.
Homer God Character Comedy Escalation ★ Rewatch Reverend Lovejoy · Homer: 'And he left them and went out of the city into Bethany and he lodged there'? Yeah. Think about it.
Homer: The, uh, Feast of Maximum Occupancy.
Homer Wordplay/Pun Character Comedy ★ Rewatch All Jokes — 58 analyzed
Show all ↓ Hide ↑ Homer: Ah, another beautiful day in the womb.
Homer Absurdist Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Homer: I'm all naked and wet!
Homer Cringe/Discomfort Absurdist ★ Rewatch Homer: Oh, stupid, itchy church pants. One size fits all, my butt!
Homer Observational Character Comedy Bart: 'Resting' hungover, 'resting' got fired? Help me out here.
Bart Character Comedy Observational ★ Rewatch Homer: Ahhh, I'm just a big, toasty cinnamon bun. I never wanna leave this bed.
Homer Absurdist Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Homer: I'm whizzin' with the door open, and I love it.
Homer Cringe/Discomfort Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Homer: You bet your sweet... ass!
Homer Setup/Punchline Misdirection Homer: The perfect chance to make my patented, space-age... out-of-this-world moon waffles.
Homer Absurdist Character Comedy Homer: Oooh, waffle runoff.
Homer Observational Character Comedy Homer Character Comedy Observational ★ Rewatch Homer Irony/Sarcasm Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Unknown churchgoer: The door's frozen shut, and it's the only way out!
Homer: Homer gasps and immediately knows the radio trivia answer
Homer Character Comedy Reaction Beat Homer: This Things I Believe
Homer Character Comedy Observational Groundskeeper Willie: Miracles are your department, Reverend.
Reverend Lovejoy: Card table for sale. Top badly damaged. Leg missing. Otherwise fine. One dollar or best offer.
Homer: Moe is their leader.
Homer Observational Character Comedy Homer: Come on, TV. Give me some of that sweet, sweet pap.
Homer Character Comedy Observational ★ Rewatch Homer Reaction Beat Character Comedy Homer · Marge: Give it a little more gas. [Pedal Banging] No, no, that's too much. You know what I think would help? What? What would help? Nothing.
Homer: I found... a penny! Could this be the best day of my life?
Homer Absurdist Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Homer: Like fun I don't. Marge, I'm never going to church again!
Homer Character Comedy Escalation Homer: No. No, no, no, no, no, no. Well, yes.
Homer Misdirection Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Homer · Bart: I mean, isn't God everywhere? Amen, brother.
Homer · Bart: And what if we pick the wrong religion? Every week we're just making God madder and madder. Testify!
God · Homer: Thou has forsaken my church! Well, kind of, but-- But what?
God Homer Character Comedy Misdirection ★ Rewatch God · Homer: You know, sometimes... even I'd rather be watching football. Does St. Louis still have a team? No, they moved to Phoenix.
God Homer Character Comedy Observational ★ Rewatch God: Hmm, you've got a point there.
Homer · God: You know what I really hate about church? Those boring sermons. Oh, I couldn't agree more. That Reverend Lovejoy really displeases me. I think I'll give him a canker sore.
Homer God Character Comedy Escalation ★ Rewatch God: Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to appear on a tortilla in Mexico.
God Absurdist Observational ★ Rewatch Lisa · Homer: Dad, can I ask you a question? / Sure, honey. / Why are you dedicating your life to blasphemy?
Homer: Don't worry, sweetheart. If I'm wrong, I'll recant on my deathbed.
Homer Dark/Subversive Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Homer: He appeared before me in a dream... and I knew that was special because I usually dream about naked... Marge.
Homer Cringe/Discomfort Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Homer: Perfect teeth, nice smell, a class act all the way.
Homer Character Comedy Absurdist ★ Rewatch Reverend Lovejoy · Homer: 'And he left them and went out of the city into Bethany and he lodged there'? Yeah. Think about it.
Homer: The, uh, Feast of Maximum Occupancy.
Homer Wordplay/Pun Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Moe: Sorry, Homer. I was born a snake handler, and I'll die a snake handler.
Moe Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement ★ Rewatch Homer: Kids, let me tell you about another so-called 'wicked' guy. He had long hair and some wild ideas... and he didn't always do what other people thought was right. And that man's name was-- I forget. But the point is-- I forget that too.
Homer Escalation Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Homer: He used to drive that blue car.
Homer Character Comedy Absurdist ★ Rewatch Homer: There you go again. Always taking someone else's side-- Flanders, the water department, God.
Homer Escalation Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Homer: Our unabashed dictionary defines I.U.D. as... 'love springs internal.' I don't get it.
Homer Character Comedy Observational Jewish clown: Last year, tornadoes claimed the lives of 75 Jewish clowns. The worst incident was during our convention in Lubbock, Texas. There were floppy shoes and rainbow wigs everywhere. It was terrible.
Homer · Charity collector: Wait a minute. Is this a religious thing? / A religious clown thing, yes. / Sorry.
Homer: No offense, Apu, but when they were handing out religions... you must've been out taking a whiz.
Homer Character Comedy Cringe/Discomfort Homer: Boy, everyone is stupid except me.
Homer Irony/Sarcasm Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Homer: D'oh! The song, the song. [Singing] D'oh!
Homer Physical/Slapstick Running Gag Apu · Little Jamshed: Little Jamshed, the store is in your hands. How I have waited for this day. [Shotgun cocking]
Fire Chief: You ducks are really trying my patience! But you're so cute.
Ned Flanders · Homer: Help! Help! [Laughing] That's right, old friend.
Homer · Firefighter: Hey, what are these axes for? I don't know. Chopping stuff. Gotcha.
Homer · Insurance agent: Well, the Picasso, my collection of classic cars-- Sorry. This policy only covers actual losses, not made-up stuff.
Homer · Reverend Lovejoy: You know, I have a feeling there's a lesson here. Yes, the lesson is-- No, don't tell me. I'll get it.
Homer: O Spiteful One, show me who to smite, and they shall be 'smoten.'
Homer Wordplay/Pun Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Apu · Reverend Lovejoy: Hindu. There are 700 million of us. Aw, that's super.
God: Don't feel bad, Homer. Nine out of ten religions fail in their first year.
God Observational Meta/Self-Referential ★ Rewatch God: You can't wait six months?
God Dark/Subversive Misdirection ★ Rewatch God: Well, okay. The meaning of life is--
God: The meaning of life is-- [Cut to credits]
God Misdirection Meta/Self-Referential ★ Rewatch Top Episodes — The Simpsons